After Theo was sent home from another board-and-train program in less than 24 hours with the recommendation that we may not want to keep him in our family, we were honestly feeling defeated and unsure what to do next with our reactive GSD puppy. That's when we found Lori Hamilton Dog Training -- and from the very beginning, Lori's approach was completely different.
Lori showed no fear, no hesitation, and immediately established calm, confident leadership with Theo. She took him into her board-and-train program for six weeks, while also involving us in weekly training sessions throughout the process. Honestly, I think we learned just as much as Theo did -- maybe more. Lori helped us understand that successful training isn't just about changing the dog's behavior; it's about teaching the humans how to communicate clearly, consistently, and confidently.
One thing Lori shared with us that really stood out was that many trainers focus primarily on obedience, while a crucial part of her work is emotional rehabilitation. That distinction became incredibly meaningful to us. Theo didn't just need commands -- he needed help learning how to feel safe, regulated, and confident in the world. You could see that deeper transformation happening throughout his training.
Another thing that meant so much to us throughout the process was how communicative Lori and her team were. They regularly sent us videos of Theo's training and progress, which was both encouraging and incredibly comforting while he was away from home. Watching him succeed and gain confidence week by week gave us so much hope.
The transformation we witnessed in Theo was incredible. Before Lori, Theo was reactive with strangers, and we genuinely believed we might never be able to safely take him to public places. By the end of training, we were working with him off-leash at the park, watching him respond reliably to commands, and feeling hopeful again about his future -- and ours.
What impressed us most was how comprehensive Lori's training was. She worked with us not only at her facility, but also at a public dog park and in our own home. At the end of his training, she even had us invite a group of friends over specifically to help Theo practice safely navigating people entering his space -- the area where we'd experienced the greatest challenges with him. That level of real-world training made such a difference.
The impact Lori had on us was so significant that we also ended up sending our other dog, Raya, to train with her. Raya already had excellent obedience and followed commands well, but she has always been an anxious dog despite previous training. Lori's focus on emotional rehabilitation made us realize there was another layer of support available for her, too.
Theo is still young, and we know training is an ongoing process, but now we actually have tools, confidence, and support. And perhaps most importantly, we know we have Lori in our corner moving forward -- both for continued training and for boarding when we travel. Before finding Lori, we had pretty much resigned ourselves to the idea that vacations together simply wouldn't be possible for the rest of Theo's life.
We also can't say enough wonderful things about Lori's staff. Every single person we interacted with was kind, knowledgeable, patient, and clearly cared deeply about the dogs. During Theo's stay, we genuinely felt like he was being treated as part of the family -- and so were we.
We are beyond grateful for everything Lori and her team have done for us and for Theo, and we truly cannot recommend LHDT highly enough. read more